The Armed Forces of Malta has for the first time deployed the King Air B200 Maritime Patrol Aircraft during the Frontex joint operation, Indalo, held in Malaga, Spain between 16 May and 31 October.

Indalo is a Frontex-coordinated border-control operation covering the maritime approaches to Spain in the Mediterranean Sea.

The AFM Air Wing’s two King Airs are designed to conduct surveillance related to border control, fisheries protection and search and rescue.

The aim of the operation is for participating countries, including Greece and Morocco, to work hand in hand in carrying out border surveillance ensuring persons attempting to cross the external maritime borders adhere to the border control regulations required by the Schengen Borders Code (SBC).

Furthermore, such operations help improve the capabilities of the participating army personnel in executing the control, of irregular flows and cross-border criminality, particularly smuggling of migrants, mainly originating from the North African and sub-Saharan countries towards the southern Spanish coast.

Colonel Emmanuel Mallia, who leads the AFM operations, plans and intelligence section, said: “This was highly challenging for our teams, which comprised two crews, since the teams operated in an unfamiliar 250-nautical mile zone.

“Besides participating in mock exercises involving surveillance, where our crew were faced with a number of daunting tasks, including conducting searches in unfamiliar seas, the teams were also involved in real-life surveillance and searches,” Col Mallia said.

Major George Abela, the King Air pilot who participated in the operation, said that one of the searches yielded around 800 kilos of cannabis which was being smuggled into Spain from Morocco.

“The AFM played a vital role in helping detect a number of ’targets’ (small boats) involved in human trafficking and in smuggling while also rescuing a number of migrants who risked drowning,” he said.

Meanwhile, Captain Jason Ebejer, commander of the AFM’s ‘C’ Company 1st Regiment, said that besides Indalo, the AFM participated in another operation called Poseidon in conjunction with Greek Army personnel, the main feature of which was conducting surveillance in a desert.

“The objective of such missions,” Captain Ebejer said, “is to observe, report and act accordingly”.

According to Capt. Ebejer, around 184 AFM personnel participated in Poseidon, mainly comprising of ‘C’ Company personnel.

“We are committed to sending 10 teams to participate in overseas operations on an annual basis, which as yet has seen seven teams participate to date.”

The AFM is currently also providing training in the area of SAR to Libyan army personnel.